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Rudd’s hospital hypocrisy and Wayne Swan’s wrecking ball

Celebrity former PM, Kevin Rudd has been challenged to advance
the future of hospitals by pledging to stop the wrecking ball of
Commonwealth cuts aimed at Queensland Health by the Labor
Party.

Mr Rudd, who once proposed to take 100 per cent of the funding
responsibility for Australian hospitals, is challenged by Health
Minister Lawrence Springborg, who says federal support for health
is in free-fall.

“It’s just 24 hours since we were told of a 70 per cent cut in
Commonwealth support for chemotherapy drugs,” Mr Springborg said.
“It’s just a month since Labor clawed back $40 million in
retrospective cuts to last year’s Queensland Health funding. It’s
four weeks since it cancelled $342M in health reform funding that
was promised to Queensland for the next four years.

"This is a shameful health record for Labor,” the Minister said.
“Mr Rudd’s media club address is nothing more than a loud sound
from an empty vessel. No wonder he is under siege in his own
parliamentary seat and no wonder his opponent is the former AMA
figurehead, Dr Bill Glasson.”

Mr Springborg said that in Queensland, the increase in state
funding for health this year was greater than in any other state
jurisdiction - in absolute dollars and in percentages. He said
that in 2012-’13, Queensland Health funding was up $800M and 7.4
pc.

At the same time, the Queensland-based federal Treasurer, Wayne
Swan, unleashed a wrecking ball of cuts that would cost hundreds
of jobs and elective surgery at local hospitals across the state.
“Commonwealth support for health was set to grow this year by
just 0.3 pc,” Mr Springborg said. “Now that’s in reverse thanks
to Mr Swan.”

The Health Minister challenged Mr Rudd to sign a pledge that he
would stand shoulder to shoulder with Queensland health workers
to oppose federal health cuts. “These cuts take away essential
health resources,” the Minister said. “As the MP whose electorate
includes Princess Alexandra Hospital, let him explain how we can
continue without funding equal to 84,000 normal births, 15,000
hip replacements or 112,000 tonsillectomies.”

Minister for Health
The Honourable Lawrence Springborg
22 November 2012